


i know places

by stevebuckiest



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gay Bar, Gay Bucky Barnes, Gay Steve Rogers, Light Angst, M/M, Making Out, Making Up, Modern Bucky Barnes, Modern Steve Rogers, Nomad Steve Rogers, Public Display of Affection, Sweet Steve Rogers, Teasing, and, in that hes an idiot with good intentions, steve in glitter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:55:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29192646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stevebuckiest/pseuds/stevebuckiest
Summary: “Buck, you can’t just ignore me the rest of the night,” Steve sighs.Bucky raises an eyebrow at Steve's pout and takes a drag of his cigarette. Oh, but can’t I? he wants to say, but he keeps his mouth shut because talking would only go against his purposes right now. Purposes being giving Steve the cold shoulder, as petty as that might sound.After the night he’s had, Bucky thinks he deserves to be able to be a little petty.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 17
Kudos: 133





	i know places

**Author's Note:**

> this has been in my drafts forever as an old tumblr drabble that i edited. im uploading it now because i really miss going to gay bars. based off of my own experiences.

“Buck, you can’t just ignore me the rest of the night,” Steve sighs.

Bucky raises an eyebrow at Steve's pout and takes a drag of his cigarette. _Oh, but can’t I?_ he wants to say, but he keeps his mouth shut because talking would only go against his purposes right now. Purposes being giving Steve the cold shoulder, as petty as that might sound. 

After the night he’s had, Bucky thinks he deserves to be able to be a little petty. 

Steve is getting agitated now, dropping himself down onto the loveseat opposite Bucky and leaning forward with his thick forearms braced on his thighs. He has a serious expression on his face. “I know you’re pissed right now, but I wish you would just talk to me about it.” Bucky stares at him for a moment, unimpressed. Steve huffs and runs a hand through his blonde hair and leans closer with pleading eyes. “Buck, come on.”

Bucky fakes a contemplative look, tilting his head and squinting at Steve, who looks hopeful. That expression is wiped off his face when Bucky smirks a second later and blows cigarette smoke at him instead.

“I don’t know what you’re mad at _me_ for!” Steve throws up his hands and sits back, slumping against the chair in defeat. “It’s not my fault they wouldn’t leave us alone.” Bucky’s eyebrows shoot up in response and he gives Steve an incredulous glare.

Not his fault? Bucky scoffs and crosses his legs. Yeah, right. He’d practically been encouraging them.

The _them_ in question right now is a pair of girls who had come up to Steve earlier. He and Bucky are at a bar- a gay one- that they come to nearly once a week for the live drag shows and five-dollar drink nights. It’s not the nicest place in the world or on New York City, but it’s welcoming and friendly, and they’ve been coming here nearly the entire time they’ve been dating. It’s a bit of a tradition for them, really. On nights like this, Bucky likes to get dressed up in something tight, put on a little eyeliner and drag Steve out with him to have an excuse to buy him fruity drinks and maybe feel him up a little on the dance floor. Steve likes letting him do it, and usually nights spent at Howlies are the highlight of his week. _Their_ weeks. 

This night seems to be going a little differently. The two of them had just gotten in their normal groove for the night- Bucky slinging his good arm around Steve and ordering for him at the bar while Steve preened and clung on to his side, letting Bucky hold his drink for him and put the straw between his lips so he could sip at it. The display was the type of thing Bucky would have normally cringed at if he saw a different couple do it in public, but the bar was one of the only public places that Bucky felt comfortable enough to be sappy and romantic with Steve. 

So they let themselves have it, and Bucky had been basking in the content enjoyment of it when he was rudely pulled away from it by the arrival of two tipsy girls sliding next to them at the bar. Or, more accurately, next to Steve. That’s not to say they hadn’t thrown Bucky a few appreciative glances- Bucky knows he’s got the type of facial structure the girls are going wild for these days, even after cutting his hair short again- but their main focus of attention was definitely Steve.

Not that Bucky can exactly blame them for noticing how attractive his boyfriend is. Steve is handsome. He has the prettiest eyes and eyelashes Bucky has ever seen, pouty pink lips, and he’s jacked as fuck. Not to mention the new addition of his beard and longer blonde hair, the glitter on his cheekbones (courtesy of Bucky), and the too-tight jeans Bucky had watched him squeeze into before they left. So, yeah, Bucky _knows_ that his boyfriend is pretty much universally hot and he doesn’t necessarily _blame_ the girls for agreeing with him on that, but that doesn’t mean he has to be happy about them interrupting his weekly PDA session with his boyfriend. Emphasis on _his._

The girls were what looked to be early college age and had clearly had more than a few drinks- Bucky had seen them laughing in a corner with a couple of twinks holding bloody mary’s- They’re nice and chatty in that drunk-dumb oblivious kind of way that made Bucky feel bad about wanting to snap at them to take their hands of his boyfriend. Because they _did_ have their hands on him, groping at his bicep like they were at Chippen Dale’s and not a gay bar. 

Which, Bucky didn’t and still doesn’t know these girls, so he has no idea if they’re bi or pan or anything else (he didn’t even listen to their names when they introduced themselves, too focused on their hands on Steve), but he didn’t really _need_ to know. It didn’t matter. He knew the look in their eyes well enough to know that they were… interested. His suspicions were only confirmed when one of them slid on the stool next to him and put a “friendly” hand on Steve’s tree trunk thigh like the guy didn’t have his arm still wrapped around Bucky’s waist in a clear _this is my boyfriend kind of way._ And again, it’s a gay bar. It’s not like there was really much of a reason to confuse what the two of them were doing wrapped up in each other. 

Bucky wasn’t just mad that the girls had ruined his evening with his boyfriend. He was mad about a few other things too, namely the way that Steve had just _let it happen._ He had sat back with a polite smile and let the girls hang off him, let them flirt with him like Bucky wasn’t sitting next to him. 

Call Bucky petty or sensitive, but he didn’t really appreciate being ignored and having his relationship basically invalidated in the one space he didn’t expect it to be, so while Steve was chuckling at some stupid joke they had made, he had quietly slid off his stool and out of Steve’s embrace to go lick his wounds in one of the vacant sitting areas outside instead.

Steve had given him a funny look, but hadn’t immediately ditched the conversation and gone after him. 

That just served to both piss Bucky off and upset him even more. What, he wasn’t even worth going after? And for what, to spare a couple of drunk strangers’ feelings? He had curled up on a sofa in the corner to sulk out through a smoke and that was where he still was, but now Steve was in front of him looking exasperated and confused and a lot like a kicked puppy. 

“Buck, please,” Steve says softly. “I- why are you mad at me?” He reaches out to grip Bucky’s hand that isn’t holding his cigarette, and although there’s a childish part of Bucky that wants to jerk it away, he doesn’t. He lets Steve slot their fingers together and rub circles into his thumb, but he still doesn’t talk.

Steve doesn’t speak again either. He just stares at Bucky with a wide, genuine expression that makes Bucky sigh and decide to finally stop cold-shouldering him. “I- Steve, do you know why I wanna come here so much?” he asks quietly, flicking his cigarette butt into the ashtray on the table next to him.

Steve looks relieved that Bucky’s finally spoken, but he shrugs and grips his hand tighter. “Because you like the cheap drinks and seeing me in tight pants?” he answers hesitantly, obviously knowing that he’s got the wrong answer. A goid shot, though. 

Bucky huffs out a laugh. “I mean, yeah, but I could get that at plenty of bars.” He pauses, studying their linked hands and worrying at the inside of his cheek. He wants to phrase this right. “You know, I grew up upstate,” he says finally. Steve nods slowly. “It’s not the most conservative area around by any means but it’s nowhere near as…welcoming as New York City can be. When I was growing up, there weren’t many places for me to do _this_ ,” he raises their hands, “in public. Not safely, at least.” He swallows and goes on. “So I like coming here because it’s special, and it’s one of the first places that you kissed me in public.” He looks up at Steve and sees the understanding finally start to come over him, but he continues anyways, for his own benefit as much as Steve’s. “It’s one of the first places _anyone_ ever kissed me in public, and it’s one of the only places where I don’t have to worry about the opinions people have about our relationship…” he falters, but Steve brings their hands up and kisses his knuckles, giving him a shy smile and the courage to keep going. “I got- I _am_ very comfortable here. It’s just, those girls…I know it’s dumb, and it probably wouldn’t be a very big deal for other people, but…they were just all over you like your boyfriend wasn’t sitting next to you…and you let them. I just felt…”

“You felt like one of your safe spaces was being invaded,” Steve finishes. He looks up at Bucky with a painful expression. “I’m sorry, Buck,” he apologizes, kissing his hand again. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like that, but I did, so I’m sorry.”

Bucky smiles sadly at him and shakes his head, calmed down enough to have some clarity. “It wasn’t all your fault, baby. I overreacted, too. Just wasn’t expecting this tonight, shoulda told you right off instead of ignoring you. But it’s okay now.” Steve looks like he wants to argue, but Bucky cuts him off with a look and a pat on his thighs. “C’mere, Stevie.”

Steve raises an eyebrow but stands. “You want me to sit on your lap? You sure?” he says skeptically, gesturing to his body. Bucky rolls his eyes and gets up himself. As if they aren’t the same size. Steve grins at him and plops down, pulling Bucky onto his lap instead and settling back comfortably with the other man curled up into him.

“I love you,” Bucky murmurs into his neck, laughing when Steve squeezes him tighter and smacks the top of his head in a kiss. “Sap.”

“I love you back, Buck,” Steve says in return. “You feelin’ any better?” he asks a moment later. “I’m sorry I ruined our night.” His voice is guilty, and Bucky sighs. 

He lifts his head and gives Steve a stern look. “I just told you it was fine. _We’re_ fine.” Steve shifts, not looking at him, so Bucky huffs and puts a hand in his hair, yanking at it to bring their eyes together. “Steve.” His voice is low, and he can’t help but smirk a little when he sees how Steve’s eyes have darkened. “Oh, you like that? What else is it gonna take to get through that thick skull of yours, huh?”

“Dunno,” Steve mutters, voice embarrassed like it always is when Bucky gets bossy with him and he likes it. “A kiss?” he adds on hopefully, pursing his lips and looking at Bucky with doe eyes. Bucky laughs fondly at him and how he might be a huge hunk of a hot guy, but he’s still just an adorable, confused mess half the time. Even when he’s getting turned on by Bucky roughing him up a little. _Especially_ when he’s getting turned on by Bucky roughing him up a little. 

“I can do a lot better than that, honey,” Bucky purrs, pulling him in. “Just say the word.” The little sitting area they’re in is one they frequent most times they’re feeling a little drunk and frisky, well lit but pushed off into a corner outside where most people don’t go. They’ve ended up at least making out every time they sit out on these couches, and it looks like this time is heading in the same direction with how Steve’s hands slide down to his waist and his hips shift to accommodate his interested body against Bucky’s ass through his skinny jeans.

“What word with that be, Buck?” Steve murmurs.

Bucky hums and brushes their lips against each other, stubble scraping together in just a tease of a thing. “I’ll just say it for you,” he whispers. “ _Mine_.”

The kiss they share after that is one that makes sure they’ll both never forget that- and the kiss that follows _that_ one is one that makes Steve sigh out into Bucky’s mouth in a way that Bucky knows _he’ll_ never forget either. 

He’s still planted on Steve’s lap, Steve’s hands hovering on his waist- so he can _very_ much feel the twitch Steve’s hips give when Bucky curls his fingers into the pale gold of his hair and tugs even harder than he had before. “Yeah, you really _do_ like that, huh, blondie?” he murmurs, half out if amusement, half out of the growing arousal currently pooling in his stomach. 

Steve groans and shoves his face in Bucky’s neck (great, Bucky’s never getting the glitter out of his stubble now). He’s embarrassed, but not embarrassed enough to slow down what’s in his pants or who’s on his lap. “Feels nice,” he says, muffled into Bucky’s skin. Neither of them are remotely drunk (or tipsy, thanks to the unfortunate derailing of their plans), but his words still slur a bit anyways into the kisses he starts sucking into Bucky’s neck. “ _You_ look nice.”

“Says the guy in jeans so tight you almost broke your ankle getting in them,” Bucky teases, tugging the tucked in edge of Steve’s blue button down until his fingers find warm skin to tease at under the edge of Steve’s jeans. “I saw that earlier, big guy.”

“It’s hard to find ones that fit right on my legs!” Steve protests at the mention of his earlier clumsiness (luckily Bucky happens to think it’s cute). He brings his arms up between them so he can curl his fingers over the tops of Bucky’s shoulders, effectively making himself smaller with Bucky pressing him down and telling Bucky exactly the type of mood he’s in. 

“Mm, I think that ass of yours might be part of the problem too,” Bucky says lowly, leaning in more heavily. 

“S’that a complaint I hear about my ass, Buck?” Steve’s voice is playful, just like Bucky’s next tug on his hair. 

“How about we go home and I show you just how much I love it, huh?” Bucky suggests, biting at Steve’s bottom lip when he raises his head to meet him. “Night doesn’t have to be a complete waste…” Steve sighs into Bucky’s mouth, edges of his own curling down slightly at the intended joke until Bucky gives his hair another scolding yank. “Punk, I told you none of this was your fault. It was a misunderstanding. We’re allowed to have those.”

“I know,” Steve says. “I just-“

“You just _nothing,_ Rogers. We’re fine, and the night won’t be ruined,” he pulls Steve back by his hair to look at him. “....unless you don’t quit moping. C’mon, I stopped being grumpy earlier, now it’s your turn.”

Steve squints at him and huffs. He’s stubborn, but he knows Bucky is right (and he isn’t adverse to Bucky’s suggestion about going home based off of what Bucky’s sitting on top of). “Fine.”

“Atta boy, Stevie,” Bucky grins, kissing him quick one more time before getting up and dusting the residual glitter from Steve’s face off of his thighs. God, he loves the way it looks on him, but this shit gets _everywhere_ (it still isn’t enough for him to want Steve to stop wearing it). He holds out the hand of his good arm to Steve afterwards. Steve gives it the same skeptical look he’d given Bucky before when he’d suggested Bucky sit on his lap, and this time Bucky rolls his eyes and complains. “Baby, we’re practically the same _size_. Stop acting like you’re gonna break me before I sit you on my lap and never let you off just to prove a point.”

Steve makes an indignant sound, but lets Bucky help him up anyways. He’s blushing again. “Prove a point, huh?”

Bucky grins and watches Steve adjust his pants before grabbing his hand and walking them back towards where the exit inside is. “Learned from the best stubborn asshole I know.”

“Jerk,” Steve grumbles. Then, quieter. “Fine. How about I ride you whenever we get home so we can _both_ prove our points?”

Bucky raises an eyebrow. “And what point are _you_ going for, exactly?”

Steve slings an arm around Bucky’s waist and tugs him close so that he can whisper, “That I’m yours.” Bucky’s heart flips at the sincerity in his voice. 

Still, he doesn’t want him to feel like he has anything to prove on that front. Bucky might get caught up in his head sometimes, but he knows Steve is his guy. “You don’t have to prove what I already know, Stevie,” he says back, letting Steve hold the door open for them both to step out of the exit. “But...if you’re offering….”

Steve laughs when Bucky slides a hand into his back pocket and squeezes. “The deal is out on the table, Buck. Take it or leave it.”

“Oh, honey,” Bucky murmurs, kissing his cheek. “I am _never_ gonna leave when it comes to you.” And ain’t _that_ the truth. 

Steve grins, loose and hopeful. “Is that a yes?”

“That’s a _hell_ yes, blondie, don’t ask dumb questions. You’re reinforcing stereotypes.”

Steve rolls his eyes and kisses his cheek in return. “We better get home, then. The night is still young. Wanna take a taxi so we can make out in the backseat?”

“I’ll do you one better and make out with you right here,” Bucky says. Steve just grins and waves a cab over anyways, but Bucky is a man of his word. He grabs his cheeks and lays one on him while the car is still on its way over, Steve making a sweetly surprised noise but melting into it a moment later. 

His cheeks are flushed pink under the remnants of the glitter when Bucky pulls away. “What was that for?”

Bucky hums. “Just reminding myself that I can kiss you in public in other places than just that club.”

Steve gives him a shyly pleased look when he opens the cab door and lets Bucky slide in ahead of him, giving the driver their address before answering. “You can kiss me wherever and _whenever_ you want, Buck.”

Bucky kisses him again just for that, short and sweet. “Likewise for you, sweetheart. Now let’s go home so I can kiss you _there_ in a few more places instead.”

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> comments & kudos are what keeps the content coming, so feel free to spare what you can! as usual, i hope you enjoyed! stay safe & see you next time around. hopefully very soon for my valentine’s fics!


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